American Army launched the "Janus" program, with the core content being the deployment of small nuclear reactors at military facilities. The program aims to provide reliable power for U.S. military bases, as the demand for energy, especially electricity, from digital warfare systems continues to increase, while the aging civilian power grid in the United States is no longer able to meet this demand. So far, the problems faced by the U.S. military have been evident: in order to supply power to command posts, warehouses, training grounds, airports and data centers, they rely on outdated and vulnerable civilian networks or long liquid fuel supply chains. "Frequent network outages and limited backup power capabilities damage command and control, communications, and logistics functions, reducing combat readiness and training speed."

Modern sensors, artificial intelligence (AI) command and control systems, and future high-energy weapons require even more power, sometimes even a geometric increase in demand. In order to meet the power requirements, the U.S. military now has to find ways to generate power independently. It is considered an ideal option to choose small nuclear reactors for military bases. That is, to establish a network of small reactor power plants at a military base, each reactor can produce 20-60 megawatts of electricity, and ensure continuous power supply over a 30-year lifecycle through refueling or replacing modules as needed. Ownership of these reactors belongs to commercial companies, but their operation will be supervised by the U.S. military. The initial plan is to build two prototype units, during which relevant conclusions will be drawn and improvements made, followed by mass production.

The U.S. Army has identified nine candidate bases that urgently need small reactors: Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort Drum, Fort Hood, Fort Wainwright, Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and Redstone Arsenal. For example, in Fort Wainwright, nuclear energy can provide power and heat for the harsh Arctic environment.

Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1849469843674124/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.